TCAD Simulation of Dose Radiation Effects in Sub-100-nm High-κ MOS Transistor Structures

Abstract

The sub-100-nm CMOS process with a high-κ gate dielectric is one of the key technologies for the fabrication of digital, analog, and RF VLSI circuits and on-chip systems. The influence of ionizing radiation on 45-nm MOS transistors with a high-κ dielectric fabricated using the bulk-silicon and SOI technologies is simulated. Effects induced by the substitution of SiO2 with a high-κ dielectric are noted. The processes of selection and tuning of physical models for the simulation of high-κ MOS transistors in the Sentaurus TCAD are outlined. A set of new physical semiempirical models introducing the dependence of radiation-sensitive parameters (carrier lifetime, carrier mobility, charge density in the bulk of SiO2 and HfO2 and at the HfO2/Si interfaces) on the irradiation dose is developed. Nanoscale bulk and SOI MOS transistors with a high-κ dielectric are simulated. It is demonstrated that an increase in the drain current after irradiation in nanoscale SOI structures is induced by the charge accumulation in the side oxide. An acceptable fit between the simulation results and the experimental data is obtained. The simulation results confirm that the leakage current is suppressed (compared to common MOS transistors with SiO2) in sub-100-nm MOS transistors with a high-κ dielectric. However, the other important parameters of sub-100-nm MOS transistors with a high-κ dielectric are more sensitive to ionizing radiation.